Download: 1 Nov 2011

Tuesday 1 November 2011

A Promising New Motor-Car From William Crapo Durant? [Chevrolet Centennial, 1910s Edition]

A Promising New Motor-Car From William Crapo Durant? [Chevrolet Centennial, 1910s Edition]:

Chevrolet is marking its 100th anniversary this week. To celebrate, we’re republishing two posts per day from our blog archives, each one plucked from a different decade of the marque’s long existence.

We’ve received word that Francophone racing driver Louis Chevrolet and Mr. William Crapo Durant have chosen to go into business together in the hopes of constructing a new motorcar. The Kaiser’s man Benz may have been first, but your humble scribes at Car and Driver, the Sportsman’s Car Illustrated are damned if those wily Germans will get the better of us!

With his work for the Italians at Fiat—a nation now capable of building mighty aero engines that power flying machines capable of bombing the Turk—the Swiss-born Mr. Chevrolet brings international flair and savior-faire to the endeavor. Mr. Durant, on the other hand, has a powerful business mind, as well as a reputation as a dilettante and a rapscallion. He of course was the mind behind General Motors, which currently owns Buick, Oldsmobile, Ewing, Oakland, Cartercar and Cadillac, as well as the Reliance and Rapid motor-truck brands. Forced out of the company last year, he apparently sees this new Chevrolet marque as a way back into the industry.

Their new product, which has been in the works for months now, is the six-cylinder Series C Classic Six. Reports say the new car is capable of a lollapalooza sixty-five miles-per-hour! The engine behind this breathtaking speed for a road-going vehicle is a 299-cubic-inch side-valve engine creating a respectable forty horse-power. It features a compressed-air starter, making broken arms from hand-cranking incidents a thing of the past! What have you got to say to that, Blitzen Benz?

We hear Mr. Chevrolet is very proud of the new car, though we get the feeling that Mr. Durant isn’t so happy—he sees the future in a vehicle for Joe Rube; an automobile not unlike Mr. Ford’s Model T. We would not be surprised if the two wind up parting ways. Both are industrious sorts, though it wouldn’t shock our systems if the motor-obsessed Mr. Chevrolet winds up whiling away his days as a mechanic and that the risk-taking Mr. Durant loses it all and finds employment in a bowling-alley. —D.G. Johnson-Pinkerton IV, World-Famous Elixir Concoctor and Motor-Racing Impresario

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Honda Hears 2012 Civic Criticisms; Mulls Fast-Track Refresh

Honda Hears 2012 Civic Criticisms; Mulls Fast-Track Refresh:

The redesigned, 2012 Honda Civic has gotten a lukewarm, if not outright hostile, reception from critics (ourselves among them). So when our colleagues at Automotive News reported that American Honda Motor’s executive vice president John Mendel suggested that the Civic’s first mid-cycle update could be moved ahead in response to the criticism (from spring 2014 to sometime in 2013), we did some digging to see what that meant.

Honda spokesman Chris Martin confirmed that AN quoted Mendel accurately when he said, “We take feedback seriously, regardless of who it’s from, and we will act accordingly quickly,” but that no one at Honda has given any specific timeline. “When we launch a model, one or two model changes are always planned,” said Martin. “On some models, we can move that forward or move that back. There is the potential with Civic that we would move that forward. It is not unprecedented.”

That said, Martin went on to explain that advancing the first mid-cycle update is a way of saying, ”Hey, we hear you. We’re going to do what is appropriate.” Exactly what might this early update involve? Martin declined to say, but we hope it goes beyond changes to the head- and taillamp bezels and involves some big upgrades in interior materials.

While the Civic has had a tough time in the hands of critics, Martin stopped short of admitting that the Civic is having problems pleasing customers, adding that, following the natural disasters that struck Japan earlier this year, the Civic has only had full model and feature availability for a couple of weeks. “The big thing is that Civic as it stands hasn’t gotten a chance to get on its feet from an inventory standpoint . . . do we consider Civic to be a problem or a failure? I’d say no, not at this point.”

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2012 BMW 640i Coupe First Drive: All the 6-series One Needs—Even Though No One Needs a 6-series

2012 BMW 640i Coupe First Drive: All the 6-series One Needs—Even Though No One Needs a 6-series:

All the 6-series one needs—even though no one needs a 6-series.

BMW’s U.S. engine lineup is a model of flexibility and simplicity. The company fits its regular-production models with a naturally aspirated inline-six, a turbocharged inline-six, or a twin-turbocharged V-8. (Starting this year, the n/a six is being replaced by a turbocharged four-cylinder, and there’s also a low-volume twelve-pot available only in the $138,000 760Li. But that’s it for complications.) All are smooth and powerful, among the best mills on the market. With those three basic packages, BMW powers the 1-, 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series, X3, X5, and X6, and Z4. We rarely complain about any pairing of powerplant and vehicle.

Keep Reading: 2012 BMW 640i Coupe – First Drive Review

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Kia Bringing Surfer-Friendly Rio and Hokey Hockey-Themed Forte to 2011 SEMA Show

Kia Bringing Surfer-Friendly Rio and Hokey Hockey-Themed Forte to 2011 SEMA Show:

Kia is really getting into the wacky spirit of SEMA this year, as evidenced by the two themed customs the automaker is bringing to the Las Vegas this week. The first is the Radical Rio, fully decked-out for beach duty, and the second is the Hockey-Hatch Forte that, you guessed it, is hockey-themed. Kia collaborated on both cars with Antenna magazine, and it’s the third time the two have worked together to create SEMA concepts.

Radical Rio Five-Door

A gnarly Kia…? We think so. This surf-themed Radical Rio (pictured above) is way more than a 2012 Rio5 with a roof rack and reminds us of some Euro-tuned Volkswagen Golfs we’ve seen. To create the Radical Rio, Antenna’s people sprayed the little hatch an illustrious shade of Sunset-Metallic brown and bolted on a sweet set of gold, 17-inch three-piece wheels that look as though they were culled straight from a 1980s BBS catalog. The Radical Rio wears a custom body kit with a rear center-exit exhaust outlet and—get this—a wood front splitter. The whole car is topped off with a roof rack and a hand-made wood surfboard that matches the splitter.

Moving to the interior, the Rio’s seats, dashboard, and door panels are wrapped in brown and beige plaid waterproof fabric. A dark-brown suede headliner and wood grain on the center console add a touch of class to the Rio’s cabin. The rear seat gets a center console shelf that’s designed to hold your sun-tan lotion, surfboard wax, and bottled water. Finally, the car’s 1980s-style wheels are out-retro’d by a trunk-mounted “retro gaming console that plays ’80s-style arcade games [and] retro-looking record player.” We think the old-school hardware in the trunk is the only objectionable feature on the Radical Rio, and overall it’s pretty tastefully done for a SEMA ride.

Hockey-Hatch Forte Five-Door

Whereas the Radical Rio largely manages to avoid direct show-car kitsch, this Hockey-Hatch Forte five-door embraces it. As its name suggests, the Hockey-Hatch is themed after everyone’s favorite ice sport. The car’s exterior isn’t terribly wild, and makes do with a simple gray paint job, blue 18-inch wheels, a carbon-fiber roof, and an attractive body kit that includes the front bumper from the Forte Koup and cutouts for the quad-tipped exhaust outlets. As the saying goes, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” and it’s there that the Hockey-Hatch’s individuality shines.

The seats are upholstered in a combination of dark fabric and blue hockey-jersey material, and the floor is coated in the same rubberized flooring one finds at the rink. The rear bench seat was ditched in favor of two bucket seats to make room for a hockey stick holder that intrudes ski bag–style into the rear cabin area. Those rear chairs face two front headrest-mounted monitors hooked up to a PlayStation 3—pretty standard SEMA fare. Much more ridiculous is the mini air hockey table that slides out of the hatch, which is simultaneously SEMA- and Pimp My Ride–appropriate (we can just hear Xzibit now: “Yo dawg, we put an air hockey table—in your car!“). The silly factor is amped up by the inclusion of four carbon-fiber hockey sticks and two jerseys that match the Forte’s exterior, along with an ice-skate rack and hooks for “sweaty equipment.” No word from Kia on whether the Hockey-Hatch comes pre-saturated with the smell of hockey bag.

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The New ’27 Chevrolets: Putting It to Ol’ Henry [Chevrolet Centennial, 1920s Edition]

The New ’27 Chevrolets: Putting It to Ol’ Henry [Chevrolet Centennial, 1920s Edition]:

There is such a thing as desperation, friends, but that is not something we’re going to talk about today. Today we’re going to discuss the new 1927 Chevrolets. First things first: They are cars, see, not beer. (We know a few dolls who don’t believe that liquor is illegal in this town, but they’re daddied-up dames that live off the clams of some other fool egg.) The ’27 Chevrolets are the kind of nifty, class-high rigs you won’t see parked outside a juice joint. This keen range is called the Chevrolet Capitol Series AA, something the ad boys in Detroit have billed as “The Most Beautiful Chevrolet Ever.” Maybe. Maybe if the car came with a foamy head and a swell hoppy aftertaste, we’d have a little more tolerance for Madison Avenue–style applesauce.

Let’s take stock here: Eight body styles, a pretty new radiator shell, and bullet-style headlights. Bodywork is close kin to last year’s Chevrolet Superior Series V and 1925′s Superior Series K, but this is no long-in-the-tooth Ford Flivver. Fact is, old Henry Ford killed off the Tin Lizzie this year, making way for the upcoming Model A; the Chevy Capitol should help unseat Ford’s dominance in the market. If all goes to plan in Detroit, the three-millionth Chevy will roll off the line some time in 1927.

Drink it up, folks. After all, it’s not like you can buy anything stronger. (And if you’re looking for a gin mill, scram. We can’t help on the clock.)

–Shemp Smith, via transcontinental Western Union cable and telephone report.

This post was made possible by Shine-Gleem Hair Kreem—the hair tan for the dapper man. Available at better variety stores, including Woolworth’s and Neisner’s.

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Chevrolet Volt and Cruze Eco Compared: Can Massaged Old Tech Hang with the Car of Tomorrow?

Chevrolet Volt and Cruze Eco Compared: Can Massaged Old Tech Hang with the Car of Tomorrow?:

We embark on a mileage marathon of over 40 mpg to see if old tech can be massaged to hang with the car of tomorrow.

Like some pro party animal tripping across the 40-year threshold into middle age, today’s car world is fraught with 40-mpg angst. Even Ferraris and F-150s are heading toward the big Four-Oh by gummint decree. The good news: We get to curb Middle Eastern oil-freighter traffic while enjoying new strides in efficiency. Major mpg has escaped the lab and infiltrated our new-car fleet, and everybody feels like a winner.

Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Volt vs. Chevrolet Cruze Eco – Comparison Tests

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Suzuki Bringing Student-Built Grand Vitara Marine Concept to SEMA

Suzuki Bringing Student-Built Grand Vitara Marine Concept to SEMA:

may not be selling a whole lot of cars these days, but we think this roofless Grand Vitara Marine concept the automaker is bringing to SEMA contains some winning elements. The Marine concept began life as a 2012 Grand Vitara SUV—which has a fair bit of off-road chops—but was completely redone with a nautical theme by students at Ohio Technical College for the SEMA show.

To beef up the Grand Vitara for marine duty, OTC students jacked the suspension skyward with a lift kit and fitted upsized chrome wheels wrapped in meaty off-road tires. There’s a tough-looking front Bull bar bumper and winch, tubular side steps, a hood scoop, and the door handles were shaved. The biggest modification to the Grand Vitara was the removal of its roof; it’s replaced by a speedboat-style basket handle over the rear, to which a pair of spotlights and two fishing poles were mounted. The front doors are pillarless, and the side glass was cut to resemble the tapering style of a speedboat’s wraparound windshield. Other nautical touches include a surfboard-shaped rearview mirror and wave graphics behind the front wheels. The Marine concept’s rear-mounted Suzuki outboard motor does go, ahem, overboard with the boat theme a bit.

The Grand Vitara Marine concept looks a bit like a remastered Isuzu Amigo convertible, which we dig. Spare us the apparently pointless outboard motor, cheesy body-side graphics, and the fishing poles, and we’d happily hit the trails in this one.

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2012 Mini Cooper Roadster: Mini’s Cooper Coupe Loses Its Lid

2012 Mini Cooper Roadster: Mini’s Cooper Coupe Loses Its Lid:

Mini launches its second convertible, this one more Mini on the inside.

Earlier this year, Mini unveiled the Cooper Coupe, basically a Mini Cooper with two fewer seats, a separate trunk, and a chopped roof. Now, Mini has officially introduced the Coupe’s partner in crime, the Cooper Roadster, which features all of the above, but adds a drop-able roof.

Keep Reading: 2012 Mini Cooper / Cooper S / John Cooper Works Roadster – Official Photos and Info

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Hyundai Confirms Turbo Veloster and More-Powerful Genesis Coupe for Detroit Auto Show

Hyundai Confirms Turbo Veloster and More-Powerful Genesis Coupe for Detroit Auto Show:

Our long national nightmare is over: A 1.6-liter turbocharged Veloster—spy photos of which can be seen here—has been confirmed for America. The forced-induction version was known to be on the way even before the base car dropped at the 2011 Detroit auto show, but it’s taken until now for the company to show its hand. Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik announced the car tonight at an event on the eve of the 2011 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Krafcik promised the car would debut at the 2012 Detroit auto show in January alongside a face-lifted Genesis coupe. An output announcement wasn’t part of the deal, but word recently slipped out of Korea that the turbocharged 1.6-liter four would make 204 hp. The Veloster’s current turbo-free 1.6-liter makes 138 hp; it isn’t quick, hitting 60 in 8.5 seconds, but the bigger issue is that the car as a whole isn’t particularly involving.

If the 204-hp number proves accurate, that would put the top-dog Veloster precariously close to the base Genesis coupe‘s 210-hp figure. But Krafcik added that that the latter’s 2.0-liter turbo four would “have its knob turned to the right” to create more separation, and that the 306-horse, naturally aspirated V-6 would follow suit. The Veloster’s front-wheel-drive layout and super-wacky door arrangement apparently aren’t enough to delineate the models.

In addition to more power, the 2013 Genesis coupe will get a more Veloster-like nose. Because, you know, Hyundai wants to differentiate the two.

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Super 4 Sonic – 2011 SEMA Show

Super 4 Sonic – 2011 SEMA Show:

Super 4 Sonic

A concept built to show the performance side of the Sonic, the Super 4 is built with a 2″ turbo back exhaust and free flow intake system. 225/40ZR18 BFGoodrich racing tires (treadwear 40!) sit on Forgeline alloy wheels. A Brembo brake package, with two piece drilled rotors up front, slow the stripped and cage chassis down. A custom Pedders coil-over kit drops the car and ensures the tires work to their maximum. A carbon body kit round out the package.

Super 4 Sonic

More:

Full Coverage: 2011 SEMA Show >>

Photos: Best of SEMA 2011 >>

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Ricky Carmichael Sonic Turbo – 2011 SEMA Show

Ricky Carmichael Sonic Turbo – 2011 SEMA Show:

Ricky Carmichael Sonic Turbo – 2011 SEMA Show

The former Supercross, current NASCAR Truck driver Ricky Carmichael lent his experience name and tastes for this SEMA concept. Wrapped in a matte blue-ish black color, the car is highlighted with fluorescent green accents. Brembo brakes and BFG KDW’s are on all four corners. The 1.4 liter turbo remains stock, as does the 6 speed manual transmission.

More:

Full Coverage: 2011 SEMA Show >>

Photos: Best of SEMA 2011 >>

Ricky Carmichael Sonic Turbo – 2011 SEMA Show

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